Mastectomy form



J. MANN MASTECTOMY FORM Feb. 21, 1967 Filed Dec. 3, 1964 United States Patent Office 3,384,558 Patented Feb. 21, 1967 lia, Australia Filed Dec. 3, 1964, Ser. No. 415,644 2 (Ilaims. ((31. 3-36) This invention relates to an improved mastectomy form (mammary prosthesis).

Mastectomy forms of various types have been proposed heretofore, but an object of the present invention is to provide a unit which will simulate the breast which has been removed and which will have the correct shape and feel and weight. It is a matter of some importance to the patient that the mastectomy form should be physically comfortable, and further, that it should approximate the removed breast both in its configuration and its Weight as closely as possible.

With the object of providing such a mastectomy form, this invention comprises a backing member with a rearwardly facing soft surface to engage the wearer, a pouch on the backing member forwardly thereof to contain granular weight adjusting fill-er material, and a resilient member over the said pouch shaped to conform substantially to a breast.

Such a unit can be worn in a brassiere or can be otherwise supported, and an attachment loop can be secured to the upper point of balance.

A convenient form of construction can comprise a backing member with a rearwardly facing soft surface to engage the wearer, a front cover secured marginally to the backing member to curve forwardly therefrom, an intermediate membrane also marginally secured to the said backing member whereby a front pouch shaped to a breast is formed forwardly of the intermediate membrane and a second pouch is formed rearwardly thereof, the first pouch having a resilient filling therein and the second pouch having a granular material therein.

Wool can form an important part of the structure and in its preferred form is used as described later herein.

An embodiment of the invention to which it need not be limited is described hereunder in some detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a mastectomy form, and

FIG. 2 is a section of same on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

According to this embodiment, a mastectomy form has a somewhat elliptical flexible sheepskin hide 11 as a backing member. The wool fibres 12 on the sheepskin hide are clipped to varying lengths (according to personal fitting) from one quarter to five eighths of an inch, and this provides a soft and comfortable skin engaging portion which will not tend to cause dermatitis etc.

A front cover 13 of woven shrink-resistant wool is sewn peripherally around the outer circumference of the hide backing member 11. An intermediatemembrane 14 also of woven shrink-resistant wool is similarly sewn peripherally and divides the form 10 into two pouches 15 and 16.

The form 10 has a suspension loop 18 sewn thereto which acts as an undergarment anchor or suspension, and a suspension unit for drying purposes if required, the side of the unit to which this loop is attached depending on whether the unit is to 'be used as a left or right unit.

The front cover 13 which is sewn peripherally around the outer circumference of the hide backing member 11 projects forwardly and contains in the front pouch '15 between it and the intermediate membrane 14 a plurality of shrink-resistant wool tops. The rear pouch 16 between the intermediate membrane 14 and backing member 11 contains a quantity of granular material 20. In this embodiment the granular material used is granulated polyvinyl chloride, although there are of course many other granular materials, such as for example small beads of glass or Panicum seed are equally suitable.

A consideration of the above embodiment will indicate that the invention provides a mastectomy form which is exceedingly simple and of low cost. However the form is readily washable, and the amount of granular material which is used can be varied so that the form can be arranged to balance the breast on the other side of the body and thus relieve any distress that the patient might feel due to unbalance, while the shape of the front cover 13 and the quantity of the shrink-resistant wool tops in the pouch 15 control the form shape. Furthermore it will be seen that the form is conveniently warm and soft.

What I claim is:

1. A mastectomy form comprising a soft sheepskin backing member with rearwardly projecting wool fibres thereon, a fabric cover secured peripherally to the front of the sheepskin backing member, an intermediate membrane between the fabric cover and backing member dividing the pad into a front and rear pouch, a plurality of shrink-resistant wool tops contained in the front pouch, and granular material contained in the rear pouch.

2. A mastectomy form comprising a soft sheepskin backing member with rearwardly projecting wool fibres thereon, a front cover of woven fabric of pure shrinkresistant wool secured around its periphery to the periphery of the backing member, an intermediate membrane also of woven fabric of pure shrink-resistant wool secured around its periphery between the front cover and the backing member and dividing the form into a front and a rear pouch, a plurality of shrink-resistant wool tops in the front pouch, and a plurality of granules of resin based plastics material in the rear pouch.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 212,184 2/1879 Bryson 128481 598,378 2/1898 Lake 128-481 2,698,941 1/1955 Melnyk 128-478 2,867,818 1/1959 Creamer 128-481 3,181,536 5/1965 Canuata 128-481 ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A MASTECTOMY FORM COMPRISING A SOFT SHEEPSKIN BACKING MEMBER WITH REARWARDLY PROJECTING WOOL FIBRES THEREON, A FABRIC COVER SECURED PERIPHERALLY TO THE FRONT OF THE SHEEPSKIN BACKING MEMBER, AN INTERMEDIATE MEMBRANE BETWEEN THE FABRIC COVER AND BACKING MEMBER DIVIDING THE PAD INTO A FRONT AND REAR POUCH, A PLURALITY 